By Your Side
by JohnDowe
Summary: The Freelancer looks back at their life and remembers that they were where they were now because of one person. The very same same person they had always loved.


**August 23rd 2557 _ Armonia-Residential District _ 1830 hrs Chorus Time**

A long day of work at the office, Carolina was exhausted from her job. She deserved to be exhausted after working six days straight without ever once leaving the office. She almost chuckled at the thought. Not to long ago she was the leader of a rouge secret Military Program. She was trained to fight and kill. Now she just made sure those people who were training to fight and kill had the best equipment they could afford. She never imagined sitting at a desk, doing paper work and talking to people could be so tiresome. Carolinas mind wandered to her days in the project. How she first came to know the other Freelancers, how she trained with them, how she fought by their side and how they all died. She could never forget them. But it wasn't all bad, because now she had new friends. The Reds and Blues really changed her. She was no longer the stuck up bitch as she was when they first met. They actually looked forward to seeing each other, when ever they could. At least she had one person from the project, Washington. She didn't know what she would've done without him. Both now and back then. Come to think of it, she couldn't remember any mission she ran, where Washington wasn't by her side. They were always together.

* * *

She remembered when she first saw them. Sam, Grace, Ryan, Marshal, Reggie, and Connie. As the project continued their names disappearing from existence. They were now Agents North Dakota, South Dakota, New York, Maine, Wyoming and Connecticut. In the projects early days they weren't her friends they were her soldiers. She only expected the best from them, nothing less. This was how she was with the other Freelancers. She didn't take sh*t from anyone and she wouldn't tolerate her men to be less then perfect. She knew what the others said about her behind her back, they could cry her a river for all she cared. All that changed when one soldier joined the project. The ODST named David.

When she first met him, the only thing she could think was that he had no reason being here. But that changed when they were alone for the first time. She watched him disassemble and reassemble weapons, and shot them with pin point accuracy. He was a good shot and good with knives. But it wasn't his skill that caught her eye. It was his personality. He was always in a good mood. He cared about his fellow agent and he never really cared what the others thought of him. One time she walked into the armory with a busted Magnum and a bandaged cheek. The first thing Washington did was surprised her. "Oh God, what happened?" Carolina wanted to punch him, but she noticed his tone. He spoke with genuine concern. She never had anyone who was genuinely concerned about her. "Are you okay?"

"My guns busted. Got this because of it." Washington took the weapon from her did some work to it and walked over to the firing range. For the first time she was worried for someone. She was worried for this man she didn't even know. He was designated "Agent Washington", thats all he was. An agent and yet she was worried about him. She got a scare from shrapnel, with her helmet on. Washington wasn't even wearing shooting glasses. He squeezed the trigger eight times. He reloaded the weapon and fired the entire clip again. The weapon never backfired once.

"Fixed it. Here, good as new." He returned the weapon. All with a friendly expression on his face. Carolina couldn't smile back, and to this day she regretted that.

She just took the weapon and said, "Thank you Agent Washington."

"Happy to help. And I hope you get better." He just went back to sharpening his Combat Knives. Carolina exited the Armory now with a new idea of Washington. The scare never healed. It stayed on her cheek to this day, and it was a constant memory of when she realized that Washington was a good friend.

Many days went by, weeks, and months. The project changed everyone. But not Washington. He was still the same goofy, happy guy that always annoyed the hell out of everyone. And you know what, thats what Carolina loved about him. Thats why he was always by her side, and why she never wanted to lose him. Weither she loved him or not, even she didn't know, And weither he loved her or not neither one knew the answer to that, but one thing she did know was she was glad she was hit with shrapnel that night. Because that scar on her check brought her to the man she couldn't live same man she swore never to lose.

The project continued for several years. Every mission she ever ran, she made sure that he was by her side. She depended on him. She felt that with him by her side nothing could go wrong, and nothing ever did. But nothing good ever lasts. Her greatest regret was abandoning him and her friends when Texas arrived. All she cared about was being better then her, and in following that road, she lost everyone. She lost C.T., North, South. She lost York, some one very dear to her. But she also lost Washington. She lost her closest friend. But he came back. He always came back. Together they stopped the Director, stopped Hargrove and brought an end to a meaningless Civil War. All because they stuck together. Carolina had tried saying it before that she could've done alone. They both knew that a lie. Still she wished she could've had her old friends by their side. That, they both agreed on. She never believed in something as destiny or fate, but if it existed, she could swear thats whats lead her to him again. And she swore once again to never lose him. She couldn't.

* * *

In reminiscing of the old times Carolina didn't realize that had had been sitting in her driveway for the past 5 minutes. At least the engine was off. She exited the vehicle and slowly walked up the steps to her house. She always believed that when the war was over, she would have probably moved to the city, meet someone, get married, have a kid or two. But the Freelancer Program changed her. She knew she could never have that life. She was trained to kill. What good would an Ex-Special Military Super Soldier be at having a family. Because of this, she had abandoned that idea. She would continue fighting, for what cause, even she didn't know. She was a soldier. They were only go at one thing. Killing. And thats what she did best. Every time Carolina walked up these steps she would expect to just open the door, close it, behind her and just sit down in front of computer screens which monitored any Insurrection activity throughout the colonies. Walking over to the several weapon racks to disassemble and reassemble her many weapons to make sure they were properly maintained. She was a soldier, what else could she do. She told herself along time ago that the family life was not for her. She could never live a life of apple pies and white picket fence. She could never live a normal, boring, civilian, happy life. She couldn't Upon reaching the door, hearing the rapid sound of tiny footsteps rushing for the door, a smile came to her face. She was glad she was wrong.

She opened the door and then came at her was the 5 year old who was excited to see her mother again after being away for a full 72 hours. Carolina dropped to her knees and braced herself for the little girl to run into her arms, a wave of already long brown hair trailing behind her. "Mommy! Your back!" The child cheered as her mother picked her up and spun her around in her arms. "I missed you mommy!"

"I missed you too baby. So happy to see you again Emma." Carolina responded to her daughter. She stared at her light brown hair and green eyes. The very same bright green eyes she had. "Why don't we go see your father."

"Yay!"

Carolina took the child to the living room where her husband was busy putting together a nice, new coffee table. When he turned around, his always dead blue eyes for once in a long time came to life at seeing her again. "Rachel hey, I'm so happy your home." Washington. The same man who was at her side in Project Freelancer. He was her subordinate, her, soldier, her sole survivor, her partner, her friend. And as of nearly six years ago, he was her husband. Washington walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her, being gentle as to not squeeze the life out of their daughter. Carolina hugged him back with her free arm. After a while Carolina put her daughter down to give her love a real hug.

"I'm happy to be back with you too David. So anything happen while I was away?"

"Well..." Washington was very hesitant at telling her what happened at school with the Emma. "...Emma sort of got into a fight."

Carolina looked at her little 5 year old. When did she learn to fight? She only asked this, because Emma was spotless, not a single bruise or blemish on her. "Emma what happened?"

She was guilty and she knew it. She just dug her toes into the soft carpet and swayed side to side with her behind her back. "It was an accident."

"How was it an accident, young lady?"

"Someone said some mean things my friend so I hit them as hard as I could. Then their nose started bleeding and well...Daddy said I should hep my friends."

"Daddy told you huh?" Washington was in real hot water now. At this moment Carolina couldn't help but feel a little bit of pride. Maybe it ran in the family. A family of fighters. Carolina just smiled and told her to not fight again. She ran off to sit on the couch to watch T.V. "I already went down there. She apologized and everything's good. And now its a lot better now that your here."

"Hey I told you, I'd be back."

"Yeah, but you said three days. Not almost a week."

Carolina smiled and closed her hands on Washington's face to pull him for a kiss. The soft and tender sensation of their lips touching always signaling the life back into the both of them. "Eww!" Their daughter exclaimed watching her parents kiss in front of herThey finally pulled apart and proceeded to join Emma on the couch.

* * *

 **2030 hrs Chorus Time**

The family sat quietly on the couch. The only sound that could be heard, being the low volume of Criminal Minds playing on the television. Emma had fallen asleep sitting on Carolina's lap. And she was near too sleep while sitting on Washington's lap, holding the both of them. Here she was among her family, happy as the day Washington first purposed and as the same say they both said _I Do_.

"I love you Rachel." Washington said before kissing his wife and slowly drifting off to sleep.

"I love you David. Always have." Carolina kissed her husband again and snuggled up into him keeping Emma on her lap.

Carolina never imagined ever getting to this part of her life. She always believed she was destined to die on the battlefield. Along side her friends, fellow Freelancers, but it was times like these she was glad she was wrong. She still wished she could be among her old friends. With the people she once loved. But being here with Washington, and Emma, she would never change it for anything. If she were given the chance to go back and prevent all of that from happening, she would just sit back and be with her loving husband and daughter. As for their old friends, they were in better place now. And right now, she was with the two most important people in her life. The two who loved her with everything. She wouldn't change this for anything. And that was not a lie.


End file.
